Abolitionist Quote by Lerone Bennett, Jr
“Who freed the slaves? To the extent that they were ever u2018freed,' they were freed by the Thirteenth Amendment, which was authored and pressured into existence not by Lincoln but by the great emancipators nobody knows, the abolitionists and congressional leaders who created the climate and generated the pressure that goaded, prodded, drove, forced Lincoln into glory by associating him with a policy that he adamantly opposed for at least fifty-four of his fifty-six years of his life.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Civil Rights Commentary, 1970s
The Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery, but its creation was driven by abolitionists and legislators, not solely Lincoln.
In simple terms: Abolitionists and Congress freed slaves, not just Lincoln.
Key Takeaway
Recognize collective effort in historic change.
Themes
history
law
civil rights
collective action
leadership
Mood
reflective
informative
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- educational curricula
- public policy
- social justice advocacy
Key Concepts
emancipation
political pressure
legislation
historical narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- Who else contributed to emancipation?
- How does collective action shape reform?
A Different Perspective
Focus on a single hero oversimplifies complex movements.
![“Lincoln is theology, not historiology. He is a faith, he is a church, he is a religion, and he has his own priests and acolytes, most of whom have a vested interest in [him] and who are passionately opposed to anybody telling the truth about him.” quote by Lerone Bennett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/86b/lerone-bennett-jr-80928_church_lincoln-is-theology-not-historiology-he_391079.jpg)
